Hi, I'm Harold Durant

I build web applications that solve real problems

I'm a self-taught developer who came to tech through curiosity about AI and stayed for the ability to create things that matter. I specialize in building full-stack web applications with clean code and user-focused design.

2+ Years Learning
10+ Projects Built
100% Self-Taught

Featured Projects

Here are some of my recent projects that showcase my development skills

Screenshot of Harold Durant's portfolio website showing contact form

Developer Portfolio & Contact System

HTML5 CSS3 JavaScript Node.js Express

Building my own portfolio seemed straightforward until I got to the contact form. I didn't want to use a third-party service—I wanted to understand how email APIs actually work. So I built a custom Node.js backend from scratch, learned about CORS, environment variables, and deployment. The result? A contact form I'm genuinely proud of because I know exactly how every piece works.

Key Features:

  • Custom REST API endpoint for secure form handling
  • Honeypot spam protection and input validation
  • Responsive CSS Grid layout for About and Contact sections
  • Async/await JavaScript for form submission without page reload
Screenshot of Productivity Suite showing Pomodoro timer, todo list, and notes

Productivity Suite

React TypeScript Node.js Express PostgreSQL

This project was my first time building a full-stack app with TypeScript end-to-end. I wanted to feel the real difference type safety makes when your frontend and backend are talking to each other. I designed the backend with a proper MVC structure—routes, controllers, and a database layer kept completely separate—and built a Pomodoro timer, todo list, and notes system that all persist to a PostgreSQL database.

Key Features:

  • MVC-structured Express API with TypeScript for type-safe request/response handling
  • PostgreSQL with indexed queries, connection pooling, and parameterized statements
  • Full CRUD for todos and notes with proper HTTP status codes throughout
  • Pomodoro timer with browser Notifications API and session tracking
Screenshot of Weather Dashboard showing current conditions and 5-day forecast

Weather Dashboard

React JavaScript REST API Vite CSS3

I wanted to go beyond basic API calls and actually understand how to architect a clean frontend around a third-party data source. So I built a full weather dashboard using the OpenWeatherMap API—but the real challenge was designing the state management. I pulled all weather logic into a custom React hook, kept the UI components clean, and handled edge cases like geolocation failures and network errors gracefully.

Key Features:

  • Custom useWeather hook centralizing API calls, state, and error handling
  • Geolocation API integration with graceful fallback to city search
  • Real-time unit toggling (°C/°F) with localStorage persistence
  • 5-day forecast with dynamic weather icons from OpenWeatherMap

Why Work With Me?

What makes me different from other developers

🧠

I Actually Care

I'm not just checking boxes or following tutorials. Every project I build, I genuinely want to understand how it works and make it better. This isn't just a job for me—it's a craft I'm constantly refining.

💬

Clear Communication

I believe in over-communicating. Whether it's explaining technical decisions, asking clarifying questions, or providing updates, you'll always know where things stand. No surprises, no guessing.

🚀

Growth Mindset

Being self-taught means I'm comfortable with not knowing everything—and excited to learn it. I don't see challenges as roadblocks; I see them as opportunities to level up my skills.

🎯

Results-Focused

I don't build things just to build them. I focus on creating solutions that actually work, are maintainable, and solve the problem they're meant to solve. Clean code matters, but impact matters more.

Technologies I Work With

Here are the tools and technologies I use to build modern web applications

Frontend

JavaScript

Proficient

ES6+, async/await, DOM manipulation

HTML5

Proficient

Semantic markup, accessibility, forms

CSS3

Proficient

Flexbox, Grid, responsive design

Backend

Node.js

Intermediate

Express, REST APIs, server-side logic

Python

Learning

Scripting, data processing basics

Tools

Git

Proficient

Version control, branching, collaboration